Arts & Life

In 'Underwater Dreams,' Robotics Team Puts Lens On Immigration Debate

Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.

If you’ve ever wondered how to say “May the Force be with you” in Navajo, you’re in luck. On July 3, a new translation of Star Wars will be unveiled on the Navajo Nation reservation in Arizona. The 1977 classic has been translated into many languages, and the latest effort is the brainchild of Manuelito Wheeler, director of the Navajo Nation Museum in Window Rock, Ariz.

“We needed a way to preserve our culture,” Wheeler tells NPR’s Robert Siegel. “Language is at the core of a culture. And I felt we needed a more contemporary way to reach not just young people but the population in general. And so, that’s when the idea of translating a major movie into the Navajo language came up.”

Interview Highlights

On why a well-known movie is perfect for a Navajo translation

“I’m not fluent in Navajo. I grew up on the Navajo Nation, around the Navajo language; both my parents speak Navajo, yet I don’t. And there are thousands and thousands of us out there that are in that same situation. So, when you watch a movie like Star Wars where you pretty much already know many of the famous phrases from it and then you hear it in Navajo, that’s the connection right there.”

On the descriptive nature of the Navajo language

“We had a team of five translators and in my mind they pulled off a miracle. You know, there was some talk out there … like, ‘How are you gonna say robot because there’s no word for robot in Navajo?’ It’s such a powerful language, that it’s very descriptive, very descriptive. If you ask for an object in Navajo you will know you’ll be getting a round object, you’ll be getting a skinny, soft object, you’ll be getting a flat rigid object. So, the trick was choosing from the variety of definitions that the group came up with. So for example: ‘robot.’ It’s a thinking machine; a machine that thinks for itself.”

On the upcoming premiere

“The premiere sponsor that came forward was Navajo Nation Parks and Recreation. They do that Navajo Nation Fair and the Fourth of July fair. So, I will premiere it at the Fourth of July celebration on July 3. We have a grandstand there on the fairgrounds and we are having a screen built on a semi-flatbed trailer. So, when we’re ready we’ll drive that out and set up chairs … and have popcorn for as many as we can make popcorn for.”

On how to say ‘May the Force be with you’ in Navajo

“That’s been the No. 1 question being asked of me since I started this project. But we’re not going to give out that famous phrase. Come to the movie on July 3 and you’ll find out. I’ll save you a seat right up front, so come over.”